Electrical switch.



H. J. L. 6; L. H. FRANK.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I9I2. T p I 1.169.391. Patented Jan. 2., Mn.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

H. J. L. & L. H. FRANK.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1912.

Patented 3511.25, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

i NVE TOR ATTORNEY the county of 1 A ENE? @FFEQE.

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ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented can. as, rare.

.application.filed February 20, 1912. serial No. 578,875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we HARRISON J. L. FRANK and LEON H. FRANK, citizens of the United States, and residents of Wheeling, in

Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful lmproveinent in Electrical Switches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to electrical switches, and it has for its object to provide a simple and economical snap switch of high current capacity that ,is especially adapted for mounting upon a panel board, such as is used in ofice buildings, apartment houses, etc., for the purpose of controlling thedistribution of current to various parts thereof the switch being of such construction that its movements for opening and closing are perpendicular to the face of the panel hoard.

, Another object is to provide a switch of such construction that its principal operating parts may be readily applied to, and.re-. moved from, a panel board by the proper manipulation of attachment means that are accessible entirely from. the front board, thus avoiding the necessity of having access to the rear of the board when it becomes necessary to repair or renew the switches. v

A further object is to so mo'untthe fuse clips upon the switch that they may be removed from the panel simultaneously therewith, in order that they also may be renewed or repaired without the necessity of having access to the rear of the panel board.

the switch handle with easily applied and detachable means for identifying the circuit with which the switch is associated.

still further object is to .provide a switch of durable, simple and economical construction which has but few parts and A further object is to provide which may be readily assembled and dismantled in the manufacture and repair thereof.

Our intention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, Figure l of which is a lan view of a switch constructed in accordance therewith. Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch of Fig. 1, some out the parts thereof being broken away, Fig. 3 is a side and sectional view of some of the parts of the switch along the line lll-lll of Fig. 1. Fig. i is an end view of a part of the switch of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a of the spring employed in the switch. Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the switch, and Fig. 7 is a side and sectional view of some of the parts of the. switch of Fig. 6..

The switch is mounted upon an insulating panel 1, which may be the panel of the distributing board of an office building, department store, etc., and which carries the bus bars constituting the terminals of the various circuits of the. building, the said bus bars being preferably extended adjacent to the switch, and arranged and spaced so as to constitute the stationary terminal membersthereof. As here shown, tour bus bars 2, 3, 4 and .5, respectively, terminate adjacent to the switch and beneath the movable contact members thereof.

The movable parts of the switch are carried by a base member 6, that is secured to the insulating panel between the ends of the bus bars by means of two, or any other suitable number of, tap bolts or screws 7 that thread into nuts 8 set in recesses in the rear face of the panel. The heads of the belts or Screws 7 are exposed upon the front of the panel, and consequently the base member. 6 with its attached parts may be removed from the panel without the necessity of having access to its rear-face. The base member 6 is provided with a plate or post 9 extending perpendicularly to the panel and having a central rectanlar slot 10, the outer edges of the post eing inclined or tapered from opposing intermediate points thereof toward its ends.

Extending transversely to, and projecting through the slot in, the post, and provided with substantially central notches or recesses for the reception of the portions of the post upon opposite sides of the slot therein, is a bridge member llthat carries a superposed yoke or saddle 12 and two transversely-extending insulating blocks it upon its opposite ends, the said yoke or saddle having a central U-shaped portion. The yoke or saddle and the insulating blocks are secured to the main bridge piece by means of tap bolts or screws 15 that are threaded in the main bridge piece and extend through apertures in the base member, the extensions of the bolts being devoid of threads and cooperating with the base member to serve as guides for, and to impart rigidity to, the movable parts of the switch. The insulating blocks it are provided at their extremities with. suitable contact members 16 which are preferably, as here shown, in the form of brushes, though they may be of any other suitable construction, the said contact members being respectively adapted to engage the extremities of the bus bars 2, 3, 4 and 5 which constitute the stationary terminal members of the switch. The insulating blocks may also be provided, if desired, and as here shown, with fuse clips 17 that are respectively connected to the contact members 16, and are adapted to receive and to be connected by means of an inclosed fuse 18, as shown, or a fuse of any other suit able description. The fuse clips, of course, may be omitted, in which case the two contact members carried by the respective insulating blocks will be directly connected together. The parts 11, 12 and 14: constitute a contact carrying member and may be constructed in any other suitable manner, and they may carry any desired number of contact members.

The yoke or saddle 12 is provided with a handle 19 for effecting reciprocating movement of the main bridge piece and its associated parts, and the end of the handle is preferably provided with a recess for'the reception of a label 20, identifying the circuit with which the switch is associated or giving other information, and a. crystal 21 for protecting the label, the crystal being held in place by a resilient ring 21*}.

Extending through the U-shaped portion of the yoke or auxiliary bridge member 12, is a semi-cylindrical spring 22 the ends of which are rolled to form beads or are other wise rounded, and bear upon the inclined edges of the post. lhe spring is retained in position by means of a pin 23 that extends through the legs of the U-shaped portion of the yoke close to its top or base per-- tion, leaving only sufiicient space for the spring itself, and the spring .is provided with an upset boss 24 that projects into a corresponding recess in the inner face of the base of the U-shaped portion of the yoke. As the spring is thus retained in position without the provision of an aperture therein, it is strong and durable.

As the operating handle is reciprocated for the purpose of opening and closing the switch, the ends of the springs move longitudinally of the tapered edges of the post and are thereby separated or permitted to approach each. other. The spring is of sufficient stiffness to normally maintain the switch either in its open or its closed position, and to move it to the one or the other of the said positions automatically, and with a snap action, according as the ends of the spring bear upon the edges of the post at the one side or the other of the widest portion of the post. The said widest portion of the .post is preferably so located that but a slight degree of movement of the switch is perbridge piece 11 are as well as the fuse terminals, carried by the base member, and the base member is secured to the insulating panel by means of bolts, the heads of which are accessible from the front of the panel, it is obvious that the whole switch may be removed from the panel for repair or replacement, by simply. removing the-said bolts and without having access to the rear of the panel. The switch has a positive snap action with a long break or space between the terminal members when th switch opens, and by reason of the fact that the movements for opening and closing the same are perpendicular to the panel, the switch is exceedingly compact and occupies and requires but a small amount both of lateral space and of depth in the panel box. Also, since the operating handle is moved longitudinally, it permits of its exposure for operation of the switch while the remaining parts of the switch may be inclosed and protected in the panel box.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a modified form of the switch is shown in which the bolts 26 for securing the insulating blocks 14. to the extended entirely through the panel and are provided upon the side thereof opposite the other switch parts with a handle 27 for actuating the switch. With this construction the operating handle is upon the opposite side of the panel from the live parts of the switch, and there is consequently no danger of the operator or others coming in contact therewith.

In the switch of Figs. 5 and 6 he ends of the semi-cylindrical spring 22 bear upon the outer bifurcated ends of links 28 that are pivoted at their other ends to and between spaced posts 29 carried by the base member 6. As the links upon sides of the posts pass positions of alinement, the spring 22 causes the switch to open or close with a quick snap action.

We claim as our invention:. v

1. A switch comprising an insulating panel, spaced terminals mounted thereon having their contact faces substantially parallel to the plane of the panel, a post extending perpendicularly to the panel, a bridge piece mounted upon the post and movable bridge piece and adapted to engage the I terminals.

2. A switch comprising an insulating panel, spaced terminals mounted thereon having their contact faces substantially parallel to the plane of the panel. a post 6X- tending perpendicularly to the panel, means removable from the front of the panel for detachably securing the post thereto, a bridge piece mounted upon the post and movable longitudinally thereof with a snap action, and brush contact members carried by the bridge piece and adapted to engage the terminals.

3. A switch comprising an insulating panel, spaced terminals mounted thereon having their contact faces substantially parallel to the plane of the panel. a post extending perpendicularly to the panel, a bridge piece mounted upon the post and movable longitudinally thereof with a snap action, brush contact members carried by the bridge piece and adapted to engage the terminals. and fuse terminals also carried by the bridge piece and connected to the contact members.

4:. A switch comprising an insulating panel. spaced terminals mounted thereon. a base detachably secured to the panel. a bridge piece movable toward and away from the base, insulating blocks, clamping bolts that secure the insulating blocks to the bridge piece and extend through the base thereby serving as guides, and contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

5. A switch comprising spaced terminals. a base. a bridge piece movable toward and away from the terminals, insulating blocks, clamping bolts that secure the insulating blocks to the bridge piece and extend through the base thereby serving as guides, and contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

6. A. switch comprising'an insulating panel, a stationary post extending perpendicularly to the panel and having faces oppositely inclined from an intermediate point, a bridge piece movable longitudinally of the post, resilient means cooperating with the inclined faces of the post to produce automatic snap movements of the bridge piece, and contact members carried by the bridge piece and adapted to engage the terminals.

7. A switch comprising stationary terminals, a stationary post having faces oppositely inclined from an intermediate point thereof. a bridge piece movable longitudinally of the post, resilient means cooperating with the inclined faces of the post to cause automatic snap movements of the bridge piece." and contact members carried by the bridge piece and adapted to engage the terminals.

8. A switch comprising a post, a member movable longitudinally of the post, and an imperforate plate spring secured the said member and coiipera-ting with the post to cause automatic snap movements of the member.

9. A switch comprising a post, a member movable'longitudinally of the post and having a recess, an imperforate plate spring having a boss projecting into said recess, and a bar between which and the said member the spring is clamped.

10. A switch comprising stationary termina ls, a contact carrying member movable in straight lines toward and away from the terminals, and an imperforate plate spring for causing automatic snap movements of the said member.

11. A switch comprising stationary terminals, a post having faces oppositely inclined from an intermediate point thereof, a, bridge piece movable longitudinally of the post, an actuating handle carried by the bridge piece, resilient means cooperating with the inclined faces of the post to cause automatic snap movement of the bridge piece, and contact members carried by the bridge piece and-adapted to engage the terminals.

12. A switch comprising spaced terminals, a base, a bridge piece movable toward and away from the terminals, resilient means providing for automatic snap movements of the bridge piece in opposite directions from an intermediate position thereof, insulating blocks, clamping bolts that secure the insulating blocks to the bridge piece and extend through the base. thereby serving as guides, and Contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

13. A switch comprising spaced terminals, a base, a post carried by the base having faces inclined from intermediate points toward the ends thereof, a bridge piece extending transversely to the post and movable longitudinally thereof, resilient means cooperating with the bridge piece and the inclined edges of the post to normally maintain the bridge piece at one end or the other of the post, insulating blocks, clamping bolts that secure the insulating blocks to the bridge piece and extend through the base thereby serving as guides, and contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

14. A switch comprising spaced terminals mounted thereon, a base, a post carried by the base having a central slot and faces inclined from intermediate points toward the ends thereof, of a bridge piece extending through the slot in the post and movable longitudinally thereof, resilient means cooperatin with the bridge piece and the inclined e ges of the post to normally maintain the bridge piece at one end or the other of the post, insulating blocks, clamping bolts that secure the insulating blocks to'the bridge piece and extend through the base thereby serving as guides, and contact. members carried by the insulating blocks and plate spring carried by the bridge piece the ends of which bear upon the inclined por tions of the post, insulating blocks, clamp ing bolts that secure the insulating blocks to the bridge piece and extend through the base thereby serving as guides, and contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

16. A switch comprising spaced terminals,

a base, abridge piece movable toward and away from the terminals, insulating blocks,

clamping bolts that secure the insulatin blocks to the bridge .piece and exten through the base thereby serving as guides,

' a handle carried by the extensions of the forate plate spring secured to said mem and links each pivoted at one end to' the clamping bolts, and contact members carried by the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the terminals.

17. A'switch comprising a post, a member movable longitudinally thereofi, an impgrpost and each having a seat at its other end 'for the reception of one end of the spring.

18. A switch comprising a post, a member movable longitudinally thereof, a plate spring secured to one of said parts, and

links each pivoted at one end to the other of said parts and each having a seat at its other end for thereception of one end of the spring. 19. A switch comprisingan insulating panel, spaced terminals mounted thereon, a base, means carried thereby for connecting and disconnecting the terminals'with a snap action, and means for detachably securing the base to the panel, the said means being removable from the same side of the panel as that upon which the base is mounted,

20. A switch comprising an insulating panel, spaced terminals mounted thereon, a

,base, means carried thereby for connecting and disconnecting the terminals, and means for detachably securing the base to the. panel, the said means being removable from. the same side of the panel as that upon,

which the base is mounted.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 9th day of February, .1912.

HARRISON J. L. FRANK. LEON H. FRANK.

Witnesses: FRANK A. MCMAHON, F. A. HAeEN. 

